6-4 Bold Words: •Inflation- a drastic drop in the value of money coupled with a rise in prices •Mercenaries- Were foreign soldiers who fought for money, they would accept lower pay from Romans, but they felt little sense of loyality to the empire. •Huns- moved into the region and began destroying all in their path. •Barbarians- A term that was used to refer to non- Romans/invaders
Key People: • Diocletian- a strong-willed army leader who became the new emperor. •Attila- A powerful chieftain who led the Huns which included 100,000 soldier and terrorized both halves of the empire.
Key Events: A Century of Crisis
•End of reign for ruler Marcus Aurellius(A.D.161-180) marked the end of 2 centuries of Pax Romana. Rome began to decline because rulers didn't know how to control a big emperor.
Rome's Economy Weakens
• 3rd century A.D. many things weakedned Rome's Economy:
- Hostiles tribes outside of the boundaries of the empire and pirates on mediterranean Sea disrupted trade
- Romans lacked new sources of gold and silver
- Government raised taxes
- Started minting coins that contained less and less silver
- Inflation
• Agriculture faced issues like
- Soil lost its fertility in Italy and western Europe
- Years of war destroyed much farmland
- food shortages and diseases spreading led the population to decline
Military and Political Turmoil
• Third century A.D. Roman military was in disarray and soldiers became less disciplined and loyal. They gave their allegiance to their commanders, who fought for the throne. They instead started to get mercenaries.
• Loyalty weakened, and empire caused citizens to lose their sense of patriotism. Became indifferent to the empire's fate.
Emperors Attempt Reform
• Rome survived for another 200 years due to - reform-minded emperors and empire's division into 2 parts
Diocletian Reforms the Empire
• A.D. 284, Diocletian- a new emperor-
- restored order to the empire and increases it's strength
- doubled the size of roman army
- sought to control inflation by setting fixed priced for goods.
- claimed descent from the ancient Roman gods and created elaborate ceremonies to present himself in a godlike aura.
• Diocletian believed that the empire had grown too large and too complex for one ruler. He divided the empire into Greek speaking East(Greece, Anatolia, Syria, and Egypt) and the Latin- spreading West(Italy, Gual, Britain, and Spain) He took the eastern half for himself and appointed a co-ruler for the West. The east was the wealthier side.
• A.D. 305 Diocletian retired and civil war broke out. By 311, 4 rivals were competing for power. There was a commander named Constantine, who ended the persecution of Christians.
Constantine Moves the Capital
• A.D. 312 Constantine gained control of the western part of the empire and continued many social and economic policies of Diocletian. 324 he secured control of East, and restored a single ruler concept.
• A.D. 330, he moved the capital from Rome to Greek city of Byzantium(Turkey) It was on the Bosporus Strait for trade and defense.
• The new capital had walls up and and buildings much like rome they named the new capital Constantinople or the city of Constatine. After Constantine's death the empire was divided. East would survive; West would fall.
The Western Empire Crumbles
• The callapse was because of:
- worsening internal problems
- seperating of the Western Empire from the wealthier Eastern Part
- Outside invasions
Germanic Invasions
• Since Julius Caesar Greece and Rome were in peace with each other. A.D. 370 The huns, moved into the region and destroyed all in their path.
• The Germanic people pushed into Roman Lands in effort to flee from the Huns. They went through Gual, Spain and North Africa and they couldn't stop them. 410, hordes of Germans overran Rome itself and plundered it for three days.
Attila the Hun
• The huns became a direct threat and in 444, they united for the first time under a powerful chieftain named Attila who got 100,000 soldiers to terrorized both halves of the empire. In the East they attacked and plundered 70 cities. (Did not get to Constantinople because of walls)
• A.D. 452, Huns swept into the West but diseases kept them from conquering Rome. Huns weren't a threat no more after Attila's death in 453.
An Empire No More
• Romulus Augustulus(14 yr old kid) was Rome's last emperor and was ousted by German forces in 476. Roman empire had disappeared.
• The eastern half of Rome was called Byzantine Empire, and they flourished. It preserved the great heritage of Greek and Roman culture for another 1,000 years. They ruled Constantinople and saw themselves as heirs to the power of Augustus Caesar. They survived until 1453, when it fell to the Ottoman Turks.
• Their customs influence even to today.
Bold Words:
•Inflation- a drastic drop in the value of money coupled with a rise in prices
•Mercenaries- Were foreign soldiers who fought for money, they would accept lower pay from Romans, but they felt little sense of loyality to the empire.
•Huns- moved into the region and began destroying all in their path.
•Barbarians- A term that was used to refer to non- Romans/invaders
Key People:
• Diocletian- a strong-willed army leader who became the new emperor.
•Attila- A powerful chieftain who led the Huns which included 100,000 soldier and terrorized both halves of the empire.
Key Events:
A Century of Crisis
•End of reign for ruler Marcus Aurellius(A.D.161-180) marked the end of 2 centuries of Pax Romana. Rome began to decline because rulers didn't know how to control a big emperor.
Rome's Economy Weakens
• 3rd century A.D. many things weakedned Rome's Economy:
- Hostiles tribes outside of the boundaries of the empire and pirates on mediterranean Sea disrupted trade
- Romans lacked new sources of gold and silver
- Government raised taxes
- Started minting coins that contained less and less silver
- Inflation
• Agriculture faced issues like
- Soil lost its fertility in Italy and western Europe
- Years of war destroyed much farmland
- food shortages and diseases spreading led the population to decline
Military and Political Turmoil
• Third century A.D. Roman military was in disarray and soldiers became less disciplined and loyal. They gave their allegiance to their commanders, who fought for the throne. They instead started to get mercenaries.
• Loyalty weakened, and empire caused citizens to lose their sense of patriotism. Became indifferent to the empire's fate.
Emperors Attempt Reform
• Rome survived for another 200 years due to - reform-minded emperors and empire's division into 2 parts
Diocletian Reforms the Empire
• A.D. 284, Diocletian- a new emperor-
- restored order to the empire and increases it's strength
- doubled the size of roman army
- sought to control inflation by setting fixed priced for goods.
- claimed descent from the ancient Roman gods and created elaborate ceremonies to present himself in a godlike aura.
• Diocletian believed that the empire had grown too large and too complex for one ruler. He divided the empire into Greek speaking East(Greece, Anatolia, Syria, and Egypt) and the Latin- spreading West(Italy, Gual, Britain, and Spain) He took the eastern half for himself and appointed a co-ruler for the West. The east was the wealthier side.
• A.D. 305 Diocletian retired and civil war broke out. By 311, 4 rivals were competing for power. There was a commander named Constantine, who ended the persecution of Christians.
Constantine Moves the Capital
• A.D. 312 Constantine gained control of the western part of the empire and continued many social and economic policies of Diocletian. 324 he secured control of East, and restored a single ruler concept.
• A.D. 330, he moved the capital from Rome to Greek city of Byzantium(Turkey) It was on the Bosporus Strait for trade and defense.
• The new capital had walls up and and buildings much like rome they named the new capital Constantinople or the city of Constatine. After Constantine's death the empire was divided. East would survive; West would fall.
The Western Empire Crumbles
• The callapse was because of:
- worsening internal problems
- seperating of the Western Empire from the wealthier Eastern Part
- Outside invasions
Germanic Invasions
• Since Julius Caesar Greece and Rome were in peace with each other. A.D. 370 The huns, moved into the region and destroyed all in their path.
• The Germanic people pushed into Roman Lands in effort to flee from the Huns. They went through Gual, Spain and North Africa and they couldn't stop them. 410, hordes of Germans overran Rome itself and plundered it for three days.
Attila the Hun
• The huns became a direct threat and in 444, they united for the first time under a powerful chieftain named Attila who got 100,000 soldiers to terrorized both halves of the empire. In the East they attacked and plundered 70 cities. (Did not get to Constantinople because of walls)
• A.D. 452, Huns swept into the West but diseases kept them from conquering Rome. Huns weren't a threat no more after Attila's death in 453.
An Empire No More
• Romulus Augustulus(14 yr old kid) was Rome's last emperor and was ousted by German forces in 476. Roman empire had disappeared.
• The eastern half of Rome was called Byzantine Empire, and they flourished. It preserved the great heritage of Greek and Roman culture for another 1,000 years. They ruled Constantinople and saw themselves as heirs to the power of Augustus Caesar. They survived until 1453, when it fell to the Ottoman Turks.
• Their customs influence even to today.